Family Ties
by Afifirechick
Summary: Rated PG-13 for Language and later chapters. Hermione wants to become a healer and with NEWTS right around the corner and Hermione wanting to get in some real experience, will a teacher with connections hook her up, or will they hook up? PLZ R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or any of the characters. I just take over their minds and become a puppeteer. HaHaHaHa!!!! Oh,help! The men in the white coats are after me!  
  
"Harry, that's not funny. Give my wand back to me." Hermione whined as she tried to grab the wand from Harry's outstretched hand.  
  
"No way. Not until you say it." Harry replied and held her wand higher.  
  
"Not now, Harry."  
  
"But of course my dear."  
  
Hermione looked very flustered and finally gave up. "All right. You win. I love you." Hermione whispered in his ear, causing him to shudder.  
  
Harry grinned, "Now was that so hard?" As he handed back her wand, he pulled her close and she narrowly avoided a kiss he was attempting to give her.  
  
"Not now Harry. We're going to be late for potions." Hermione protested and backed away from Harry.  
  
  
  
Harry nodded and they headed toward the dungeons.  
  
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"The three of you are late. Ten points from Gryffindor. Take your seats before I make it fifty."   
  
Snape barked as they walked in the door. Neville went to the very back row and Hermione and Harry walked right past Ron and sat next to Draco, as they had been doing for the past few months.  
  
"I see the famous Harry Potter is still losing points, even though he's friends with me." Draco snickered as they took out their books.  
  
"You are so conceited Drake." Hermione said, causing Draco's face to grow red.  
  
"…Here are your instructions. Begin." Snape snapped.  
  
  
  
The trio had obviously been talking when Snape told them what they would be making and were quick to find out that small piece of information.  
  
They worked uneventfully for twenty minutes or so until a cauldron in the front of the room exploded. Hermione wasn't very interested in the excitement and was watching the foam swirl in Harry's cauldron, when she saw Ron drop something into Harry's cauldron. She immediately told Draco and Harry and Draco said he had an idea.  
  
Draco went to talk to Snape and when he returned, he had some instructions. "Snape said just keep working as if we didn't notice anything, but be prepared for something to happen. If something does, he'll nail our sneaky little friend here."  
  
So for the next ten minutes they all worked as normal as possible, until Harry added powdered dragon teeth. Then something happened and it happed fast. First, the liquid turned from green to blood red and it had ceased to boil. Then the cauldron exploded, showering Harry, Hermione, and Draco with the liquid.  
  
  
  
"What's going on?" Snape asked hastily, sounding surprised. He strode to where the trio lay and noticed their skin had become taut and they could barely breathe. Snape ran to his office and grabbed the antidote off of a shelf. As soon as it was administered, Snape turned to Ron, "Weasley. You know sabotaging someone else's potion is against school rules. Go to Professor Dumbledore at once!"  
  
As Ron gathered his things, he shot the three of them one of the dirtiest looks any of them had ever seen.  
  
After he left, Snape dismissed the class and led Harry, Hermione and Draco to the hospital wing. "Are the three of you all right?"  
  
  
  
They all nodded, but looked very pale and weak.   
  
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When they arrived, Snape explained to Madame Pomfrey what happened. She ordered the three of them to remain in the hospital wing until the following afternoon.   
  
After they changed and had gotten into bed, Harry rolled over and looked at Hermione. "Mione, are you asleep?" he whispered.   
  
"Yes Harry. I'm staring right at you, but I'm asleep."   
  
"Mione, there's something I want to talk to you about, but I don't want you to get offended. Okay?" Harry asked and Hermione nodded. "Listen, I love you, but I'm not sure what kind of love it is. I'm not sure if we're just good friends or if we're really in love. I'm not sure I really want to be more than a friend to you. Are you okay if we just stayed friends?"  
  
Hermione thought about it a minute, but smiled and said she'd be all right with that. She got up and walked over to Harry. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and went back to bed, smiling. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or any of the characters. I just take over their minds and become a puppeteer. HaHaHaHa!!!! Oh,help! The men in the white coats are after me!  
  
"Miss Granger, I need to see you after class." Professor McGonagall said the day after the potions incident, half way through class.  
  
Hermione nodded and went on with her work, figuring it was something about her N.E.W.T.S. so she didn't pay much attention to it.  
  
After class, Harry went out into the hall to wait for Hermione and when she joined him, they headed toward Hagrid's hut.  
  
"What was that about? You being so smart again?" Harry asked with a chuckle.  
  
Hermione didn't answer and clutched her book to her more tightly.  
  
"Mione, what's wrong." Harry asked. He was starting to get concerned. Hermione was never this silent unless something was wrong.  
  
Hermione still didn't reply, but before they hit the bottom of the staircase, Hermione collapsed and Harry had to throw his books down to catch her and keep her from falling down the stairs.  
  
He immediately laid her down and called for help. Professor McGonagall came rushing down the staircase and shook her head. She withdrew her wand and levitated Hermione off the staircase and started toward the hospital wing. Harry grabbed his and Hermione's things and followed her up the stairs.  
  
"Professor, what happened? Aren't you even gonna check and see what's wrong with her?" Harry asked dramatically.  
  
"Potter, you are seventeen years old, so I'm not going to sugar-coat this for you. Hermione has just suffered a great loss and is in shock. Both of her parents were recently killed in a car accident. She took the news surprising well when I told her, but I should have expected something like this to happen." Professor McGonagall explained gloomily.  
  
Harry couldn't believe it. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were two very nice people. He didn't know how to reply to McGonagall, so he didn't.   
  
He escorted them up to the hospital wing, got a note from McGonagall explaining why he was late, and went to Care of Magical Creatures class.  
  
****************************************************  
  
As the week went on, Hermione became less gloomy and more like herself, and was able to leave the hospital wing.   
  
"Hermione, please eat something. Sunday is a day for stuffing yourself." Harry pleaded, giving her another scoop of pudding.   
  
"Harry, please. I'm eating as much as I can. Just leave it at that." Hermione said and took a small bite of her pudding.  
  
Harry nodded and decided not to press the issue. He didn't want her getting sick.  
  
After lunch, Hermione went up to the common room to catch up on some of her missed assignments and fell asleep at one of the tables. She was thrown into this series of horrific dreams and awoke startled. She didn't sleep for the night.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
The next day was Hermione's first class since the death of her parents and Snape decided not to do anything too strenuous. He decided to make it a review day, since they all had to study for their N.E.W.T.S. anyway.   
  
"Who can tell me the key ingredients to a forgetfulness potion?" he asked.   
  
Many hands were raised, but not Hermione's.   
  
Snape received an answer and went on to the next question. They reviewed for another 45 minutes before Snape felt bad for Hermione, even though he wasn't sure why, and dismissed the class early.  
  
****************************************************  
  
"Hermione!" Harry yelled as he entered the common room that afternoon.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Ginny asked as Hermione rushed over to Harry.  
  
"Ginny, you'd better come too." Harry said and the three of them clambered out of the portrait hole.  
  
Hermione and Ginny weren't sure where Harry was taking them, but they stopped in front of the Room of Requirements and went in. Inside, there were boxes of tissues, big comfy chairs, and a padded floor.  
  
"Harry. What's going on?" Hermione asked. "Something bad happened, didn't it?"  
  
Harry just nodded.  
  
"Harry, what's happened?" Ginny asked, the concern showing in her face.  
  
"Well I was helping Hagrid with this years creature, which Hagrid won't tell me what it is. But I was feeding it and it bit me. Hagrid said it was a 'love bite.' Anyway, I was on my way to the nurse to get my hand bandaged up. And I walked past this classroom that felt extremely cold, like a dementor was inside." Harry told.   
  
"Yeah, and…?" Hermione asked impatiently.  
  
"Then I heard voices from inside. 'I always thought he was a good boy Albus. Did we really have to do that.' McGonagall said and then Dumbledore said, 'Minerva, you know as well as I know that was Voldemort the dementor kissed and not Ronald Weasley.'"  
  
As Harry finished, Hermione gasped and Ginny broke down bawling.   
  
Harry and Hermione helped Ginny to Madame Pomfrey and then immediately went to see Dumbledore.  
  
  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" asked Dumbledore as they entered his office.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked.  
  
"What do you mean, Mr. Potter?"  
  
"What happened with Ron? We know about the dementor." Hermione blurted out.  
  
"Why do you two always seem to no secret information before most of my staff? But, that was not Mr. Weasley. It was Voldemort. Ron's body was found in the Riddle House. Voldemort has been acting though Ron since before school began this year. Voldemort is no more, but I'm afraid it came at an awful price for the friends and family of Ronald. I am sorry I am so blunt, but I must be left alone now." Dumbledore said as he pulled out his pensive.   
  
As they turned to leave, Harry noticed Dumbledore had tears in his eyes as he placed the tip of his wand to his temple and extracted a silvery fiber.  
  
Harry looked at his watch as they were walking down the corridor in silence. "It's only 8:30. I think I'll go visit Ginny. Are you going to come?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go cheer her, and ourselves, up." she replied  
  
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Over the next few weeks, Hermione was still having problems sleeping and was slacking off in her studies and on assignments. She was constantly falling asleep in class and Harry and Draco were always waking her up. Teachers tried to help, but nothing seemed to work.  
  
"Miss Granger, please see me in my office after your last class." Snape said on Friday afternoon as he passed her in the corridor.  
  
"Okay, Professor." Hermione replied groggily.  
  
During Transfiguration class, Hermione fell asleep and Harry decided he should let her sleep. He noticed as she slept, there were tears streaming down her face. He woke her up just before class ended.  
  
After class, the Gryffindors headed back to their dormitory before they went to dinner. Hermione picked up her things and walked down to Snape's office.  
  
The door was open so Hermione went in. "You wanted to see me Professor?"  
  
"Yes. I wanted to help you with the lessons you missed while you were off in dreamland. Be grateful, I don't do this for many people." Snape said and started gathering supplies.  
  
"Professor, I was wondering if you could help me with something. Besides Potions class I mean."   
  
Snape was somewhat intrigued by her request and sat down. "And what would that be Miss Granger?"  
  
"I don't know of how qualified you are, but it seems you might have the right know-how. Have you ever heard of hypnotic therapy?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes Miss Granger, I have heard of it. I have actually performed it on occasion. Why do you ask?" Snape replied.  
  
"I was wondering if you could use it on me? I want you to find out why I'm not sleeping and why I'm depressed. Could you do that?" Hermione pleaded.  
  
"Miss Granger, as much as I would like to help you, I'm not sure that would be wise. Student-teacher relations. It wouldn't be good. Now let's begin with your lesson." Snape dropped the subject and started gathering supplies again. Although he wanted to help her and felt bad for her, he was afraid to get too close to anyone, for fear they would find out about his past. He especially didn't want to get close to Hermione, because he felt something for her, something he never felt before.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Hermione continued to slack off and Snape finally decided to do something about it.  
  
"Miss Granger, please come see me after class. I need to speak with you." Snape said, not looking up from his work.  
  
Hermione nodded and after class, she went up to his desk, "You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes. I've been thinking. Your grades are suffering and with N.E.W.T.S. not too far off, you should be concentrating on schoolwork and not sleeping in class. I will start hypnosis therapy on you tonight. Around eight o'clock?" Snape blurted out. He hadn't planned on it though.  
  
"Okay." Hermione said without too much enthusiasm.  
  
"Now go." Snape commanded.  
  
After Hermione left, she went to the dormitory and began her Herbology essay, but fell asleep.  
  
"Miss Granger, you are late. If I am to take the time to help you I expect you to at least be on time." Snape said coldly.  
  
"I'm sorry Sir. I fell asleep."   
  
Snape nodded. "My apologies. Sit down Miss Granger. We will begin. Now, I know those silly muggle therapists use watches or some sort of instrument, but I will give you a simple hypnotizing potion."  
  
Snape took a vile out of a cupboard, and then locked it. He handed the vile to Hermione and told her to drink it.  
  
She did as she was told without questioning it and within a few seconds, she sat there in her chair, completely hypnotized.  
  
Snape sat in his chair across the desk from her and started writing on a piece of parchment. "Can you hear me Hermione?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. Now why are you having trouble sleeping?"   
  
"Nightmares." Hermione responded, staring blankly forward.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Falling."  
  
"You are falling?"  
  
"No."  
  
"If not you, then who is falling?"   
  
"People. Everyone I care about."  
  
"Who do you care about?" Snape asked quietly.   
  
Hermione just sat there, with that blank expression on her face, not answering the question and Snape began wondering if she heard him.  
  
"Who do you care about?" Snape asked more loudly.  
  
"Harry, Draco, my teachers, Crookshanks, my parents and Ron, but they are dead. Plus the man I think I love." Hermione replied with a slight glimmer in her eye.  
  
Snape was very curious to see who that was, but he didn't ask. Instead, he kept asking questions about her nightmares. After he started hearing the same responses, he asked, "Does the man you think you love know you might love him?"  
  
"No. Actually, he doesn't think of me any differently than he does anyone else around him. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like me."  
  
"And who is 'he'?" Snape asked. He was about ready to burst with curiosity.  
  
"It's silly, but I think I'm falling for my Potions professor."  
  
Snape felt as if the floor had fallen out from under him and then came quickly back. He never knew anyone felt that way about him, let alone Hermione, the one person he really cared about.  
  
He wasn't sure what to do next, but he didn't have to wait long for his mind to be made up for him.  
  
All of a sudden, he heard screaming and shouting in the corridors.  
  
Snape knew that the revival potion took a while and that was time he didn't have. So he picked up Hermione and carried her through a secret passage to his room and laid her down on the bed.   
  
He then pulled out his wand and headed back though the passage. He closed it quickly and rushed into the corridor. He was shocked by what he saw.  
  
A/N: Haven't thought of a new disclaimer, so the old one is still in effect. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or any of the characters. I just take over their minds and become a puppeteer. HaHaHaHa!!!! Oh,help! The men in the white coats are after me!  
  
Everyone was cheering. "Voldemort is dead!" and "The end of the Dark Lord!" were what Snape pick out over all the yelling.  
  
"Professor Snape, the Dark Lord is dead! Well, he's not dead, but he got his soul sucked out by a dementor. Isn't it great?" asked a small 3rd year Slytherin.  
  
Snape nodded and quietly retreated to his office. He looked at his arm and where there usually was the Dark Mark, there wasn't a single trace of it there.  
  
He was just about to go out into the hall and start cheering along with everyone else when he remembered Hermione was still in his room. He grabbed the revival potion from his desk and went behind a bookcase and through the passage to his room.  
  
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"Hermione, Hermione, are you okay?" Snape asked as she started to come out of her trance and look around.  
  
"Yeah. I think so, but where am I?" Hermione asked, rubbing her head and looking around.  
  
"Well, this is my room. It's really a funny story how you got here. See, about 9 o'clock, I finished asking you questions and was about to give you the revival potion when I heard shouting and chaos from the corridor. The revival potion takes a few minutes and I wanted to check on what was going on. I didn't want to leave you hypnotized and unarmed so I brought you here where you would be safe." Snape explained.  
  
"Okay. I think I get it, but why does my head hurt so much? Is it a normal reaction with that potion?" Hermione asked, rubbing her head again.  
  
"I am afraid that's my fault. You see, the potion I gave you was designed for short-term use only. I left you hypnotized too long and it starts to shut down the brain. It will hurt until your whole brain is up and running. I am really very sorry Hermione." Snape apologized.  
  
"It's all right. With everything that you've had to deal with, I don't blame you for being a little cautious." Hermione said, patting his forearm.  
  
He was taken aback when she did that and yanked his arm away.  
  
'How could she know about the Dark Mark?' Snape thought.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it" she apologized and added, "I'm very tired."   
  
"I'm sorry too." Snape said, patting her shoulder. "Let's get you back to your dormitory.  
  
Hermione stood and wobbled. She sat back down before she fell. Snape grabbed her arm, pulled her to her feet and escorted her to the portrait hole.  
  
"Good night Miss Granger. I hope you feel better. Another Hogsmeade weekend tomorrow. Perhaps I shall see you there." Snape kissed her hand and started back to the staircase.  
  
"Thank you Professor." Hermione said and disappeared through the portrait hole.  
  
Snape walked back to his room, but with difficulty, because Hermione's tone sent chills down his back.  
  
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"What a beautiful day!" Hermione exclaimed as she came down the dormitory stairs to the common room the next morning.  
  
"Hermione, are you okay?" Ginny asked. She had she had been feeling better and decided Ron did a good thing and that Voldemort is dead because of it.  
  
"Wait a second Gin, that's not Hermione. When she wakes up, she usually looks like something her cat would drag in." Harry joked.  
  
"Harry, for your information, it is me and I had a wonderful night. Can we please go down to breakfast? I'm starving." Hermione smiled, flipped her hair and disappeared through the portrait hole, with Harry and Ginny right behind her.  
  
"All seventh-year students who are going on the Hogsmeade trip today, please stay in the Great Hall for a brief meeting." Professor McGonagall announced at breakfast.  
  
The Great Hall cleared out and only six students were left. Since most of the 7th years were studying for N.E.W.T.S., only a few gave any thought to going to Hogsmeade.  
  
"As I expected, there are only a few of you. Well that is a good thing, because I only have a few interviewers. The mayor of Hogsmeade has come to me with a request. He would like a few of the older Hogsmeade-going students to be interviewed about places they like in Hogsmeade. You have already been paired with a teacher at random. Have fun today children." McGonagall said and stepped aside as the six teachers behind her stepped forward to gather their student.  
  
"Well Miss Granger, I told you I'd see you today, did I not?" Snape asked, walking up to Hermione and bowing.  
  
"I guess you did. Thank you for what you did. I slept so well." Hermione replied.  
  
Snape simply nodded and went out the door toward Hogsmeade.  
  
Hermione followed him and wondered if Snape had known he would be interviewing her or if he was just going to Hogsmeade and figured he'd see her.  
  
A/N: Haven't thought of a new disclaimer, so the old one is still in effect. 


End file.
